The Frozen Moment

The Frozen Moment

AP file photo

Michael's career, his talent, his profound effect on the world of sports (and on my life, personally)¿none of that can be reduced to just one move or one game. When I think of MJ, I think of all the people who experienced pure, genuine joy and wonder at what he could do on a basketball court. That gleeful disbelief, that euphoric sensation of knowing they were watching a master at his craft, all of that is best summed up in the 1997 Nike Jordan Brand ad "Frozen Moment." The commercial features people everywhere--on a treadmill, taking a break from shaving while the water in the sink overflows, stopping on a street to watch a TV in a storefront window¿watching Jordan drive to the hoop and dunk. The music, the slow motion, all of it combines to show you that these people are frozen in admiration and wonder, even as the world around them carries on. For Jordan fans, watching him play was just like that. --Sarah Spain, ESPN personality, Lake Forest native

Michael's career, his talent, his profound effect on the world of sports (and on my life, personally)¿none of that can be reduced to just one move or one game. When I think of MJ, I think of all the people who experienced pure, genuine joy and wonder at what he could do on a basketball court. That gleeful disbelief, that euphoric sensation of knowing they were watching a master at his craft, all of that is best summed up in the 1997 Nike Jordan Brand ad "Frozen Moment." The commercial features people everywhere--on a treadmill, taking a break from shaving while the water in the sink overflows, stopping on a street to watch a TV in a storefront window¿watching Jordan drive to the hoop and dunk. The music, the slow motion, all of it combines to show you that these people are frozen in admiration and wonder, even as the world around them carries on. For Jordan fans, watching him play was just like that. --Sarah Spain, ESPN personality, Lake Forest native (AP file photo)

Michael's career, his talent, his profound effect on the world of sports (and on my life, personally)¿none of that can be reduced to just one move or one game. When I think of MJ, I think of all the people who experienced pure, genuine joy and wonder at what he could do on a basketball court. That gleeful disbelief, that euphoric sensation of knowing they were watching a master at his craft, all of that is best summed up in the 1997 Nike Jordan Brand ad "Frozen Moment." The commercial features people everywhere--on a treadmill, taking a break from shaving while the water in the sink overflows, stopping on a street to watch a TV in a storefront window¿watching Jordan drive to the hoop and dunk. The music, the slow motion, all of it combines to show you that these people are frozen in admiration and wonder, even as the world around them carries on. For Jordan fans, watching him play was just like that. --Sarah Spain, ESPN personality, Lake Forest native